Reviews by Sephiroth:

Thanks to Sprinkle for the trade. Bottled in 2004. Uneventful pour. Body is a deep, wine red with a few flakes of sediment. Aroma has a caramel and toffee undertone, vinous raspberries, and chocolate as it warms.

Taste is incredibly rich. Chocolate covered raspberries, luscious caramel, this is like a cordial. Warms the throat. Mouthfeel is incredibly heavy, and silky smooth. Plenty carbonated, and insanely drinkable. I would love to make a day of this beer. (466 characters)

Vintage: 2012.ABV: 15.5%.Style: Fruited Eisbock.Serving temp: Cold. Allowed to warm over the course of consumption.Serving vessel: Goblet.Expectations: Sky-high. This is currently #190 on the Top 250 beer list, and #31 on the Top 100 Great Lakes list. It's also the #1 Eisbock if you ignore beers with 4 or less ratings.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: Even with an invigorated pour, no real head emerged - just a thin white floater cap that disappeared completely within 20 seconds, leaving no lacing.

Appears undercarbonated. It's generally appealing for the style. At 15.5%, I can excuse the lack of head.

AROMA: Sweet yet tart raspberry lends the most appealing note to this aroma, with subtle chocolate notes and sweet dark malts filling it out nicely. It's appealing jammy and jelly-like, with a sort of pie filling note where the fruit comes in. Maybe I'm crazy, but I also pick up on dark cherry notes and tootsie roll. It's not real sour. The cleanliness of the aroma is odd, with no ale esters in there; lager yeast is indicated. Hints of dessert wine (port, mainly) and sweet dark fruit like figs, grapes, and dates emerge as it warms. Fruitcake does come to mind.

It's an arresting, unique aroma, and has my mouth watering. Shockingly, I don't detect any booze or alcohol.

Aromatic intensity: moderate. Not the strong booze bomb I was expecting, but it's absolutely on the sweeter side.

TASTE: Decadent rich black cherry duels with slightly tart raspberry for dominance, and the only victor is the drinker. These fruits are nicely accentuated by a rich dark chocolate character and some tootsie roll characteristics (including a distinct nuanced caramel unlike anything I've come across in a beer afore). Rich dessert wine (definitely port), hints of fruit liqueur, and faint fruitcake notes emerge more and more as it comes to temperature. Nicely jammy, evoking a breakfast pastry filling. Some might even find it redolent of pop tarts or raspberry truffle. Liqueur-filled chocolates also come to mind. Maybe brandy?

It's got a great amber malt backbone which feels more English in character than anything else. There's ample malty sweetness, and I quite like that aspect of the brew. I haven't smoked tobacco before, but I feel comfortable noting a tobacco note here - based on my experience with its aroma alone.

I'm not finding any oak or bourbon notes. It's certainly not yeasty either, and there's no off-character.

It's definitely balanced, and the alcohol warmth in the stomach is a nice feature rather than a burden. It's a well built eisbock, no doubt, and the fruit juice is incorporated very well. There's more complexity here than in most eisbocks or doppelbocks, but I can definitely envision an even more intricate example of the style. There's ample cohesion here, and it's almost gestalt. Absolutely a dessert brew but not cloyingly sweet; I'll finish this bottle alone.

The booze-soaked fruit and the liqueur notes are divine, and really stand out. The dark cherry actually eclipses the raspberry.

Constructively, the raspberry and cherry - great as they are - could be more expressive, with a higher depth of flavour. More tart and woody notes would be ideal.

TEXTURE: Plump, viscous, and sticky (like taffy), without ever coming off too syrupy or heavy on the palate - which is shocking at this high an ABV. Smooth and wet. How is it this mellow on the palate? There's no booze or alcohol heat. Definitely full-bodied and thick, but not overbearing. It's heavy and has plenty of heft (to style).

Not oily, gushed, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy.

There's great presence on the palate, the carbonation is near perfect (i.e. it's light, lending itself naturally to the liqueur like creaminess), and the sticky thick feel does accentuate the fruits...but I don't know that this elevates the beer per se.

OVERALL: Not the heavy syrupy boozy sipper I expected. It disguises its 15.5% ABV quite well. This is a solid dessert beer, and I'll enjoy finishing it. Would develop with age, definitely. Of the very few beers produced in this style worldwide, this definitely deserves to be in the conversation about the best one. Rminds me of Sam Adams Utopias in its liqueur-evocative luxurious taste. This only improves as it comes to temperature. The discerning drinker will love this beer.

This could easily be the best Eisbock in the world at present, but I can imagine it better. In any case, this is incredible stuff, and I see why it has its esteemed reputation. Worth trading for, by all means.

Close in hue to grape juice with a slight white cap that quickly dissipates.

The aroma is quite inviting, with the raspberry up front and a dose of chocolate in the mix. Okay, childhood memories of a raspberry tootsie pop are unavoidable.

Flavor delivers the goods that the nose promises: big,full raspberry taste with some definite tartness that never reaches the level of puckering, and chocolate flavors compliment this elixir with a hint of booze poking through.

Medium bodied, low carbonation, some interesting and lasting tartness on the palate.

A great drinking experience all around and an excellent beer. Highly recommend this one! (644 characters)

Crepuscular raspberry fudge slurry. I heard the usual 'pffft' on popping the cap, but there was almost no head formation despite my usual high altitude pour. There was a fleeting one finger disk of light brown fizz that is now but a memory. I'm left with a thin ring where beer, glass and air meet, nothing more. I know that high ABV beer is a classic head killer, but this one is a deadly efficient, cold-hearted assassin.

The aroma is fantastic and is unlike any other in the beer world; at least those that I've come in contact with. Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock smells like crushed, ripe raspberries macerated in Chambord and melted bittersweet chocolate. That is not an approximation, that is *exactly* what it smells like. Mind blowing...

... as is the flavor. I can't believe how much this beer tastes like raspberry eau de vie. The fact that it's beer, though, gives it a broader, deeper flavor profile. The flavor profile consists of absolutely perfect proportions of sweet, sticky, chocolate syrup-drizzled toffee pudding, black licorice and concentrated, bursting berry. Each sip (and make no mistake, this is sipper) is pure, rich, sweet pleasure.

The finish is so long that there really isn't a finish. The flavor never leaves the palate, it just lies low until it's permitted to come rushing back with a vengeance with each subsequent sample. The mouthfeel is stickythick and fits the rest of the beer like a velvet glove.

I'm not sure if the exceedingly low level of carbonation was intentional, but I, for one, don't mind a bit. The beer seems almost completely flat when it first enters the mouth, but there's a bubble or two working behind the scenes to keep things moving along. Hard to believe the 13.5% ABV; it drinks at least half that.

Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock is everything that it's been purported to be and more. It is, without question, the best fruit beer that I've ever had and one of the best beers of any style. I am completely gobsmacked by the flawless interdigitation of intense, concentrated, palate crushing flavors of chocolate-dipped caramel, black licorice and black raspberry. Kuhnhenn has a lot to be proud of.

It is my understanding that the brewery will soon be releasing larger, beautifully decked-out, numbered, wax-dipped bottles of this nectar that are rumored to be priced at $30. If so, then it was my pleasure to consume the last of the humble, label-less bottles from '04. Thank you TikkiGodxxx for a remarkable experience. (2,481 characters)

2012 bottle Cheers for one that I've wanted to try forever, Kalvarez! Pours a viscous (rooby) red with some amber-orange at the edges, thin beige head that fades fast.

Holy crap, just a huge nose of caramel and raspberry candy, some sweet malt and a little milk chocolate. Taste is surprisingly very much the same. Sweet candy-like flavours. Like a raspberry tootsie-roll.

This one tastes so good, and so unique. I've never tasted a beer like this before- it barely even tastes like beer. Up front, there's a really solid amount of sweet chocolate, and slightly burnt caramel, with a huge blast of sweet, juicy raspberry puree on the back end, along with a definite grape juice/port wine note at the very end, once the raspberry finishes berating you. The cool thing is, some sips the chocolate/caramel bit hits you first, and some sips the raspberry hits first. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never what you're gonna get!

Possibly the most astounding thing about this guy is how it's 15.5%, and you'd never know this. There is no "heat,"and no alcohol burn whatsoever. As I got near the 6 or so ounces I had of it, it started to feel a bit warm on the inside. That's honestly the only way you feel the booze. This has an intensely thick and syrupy mouthfeel, with a very low level of carbonation.

This is beer stretched out as far as you can go while still being beer. Really, really great. (1,297 characters)

Ahh, the infamous Raspberry Eisbock, the quintessential dessert beer. Not much more can be said about the hype surrounding this one, been a long time coming for me to try this. First off, I was thrilled to be able to finally try this one. So much hype surrounding it and I have been trying to get a hold of it for what seemed like forever now, and I was finally able to get a bottle a few weeks ago and have been waiting to try it anxiously. Last night I decided was the night, I was going to be giving this one a try. Went to the cellar and pulled out the 2007 vintage bottle, perfectly chilled to 50.2 degrees, and proceeded to pour this tiny little bottle, 175ml into a Rodenbach Grand Cru Chalice.

A - Poured into my glass with little to know fan fare associated with it. No head at all, no lace, no bubbles, no nothing. Really quite strange, as I expected this behemoth of a beer, in a little tiny bottle mind you, but this was just not there. There was nothing there at all, which to be honest seemed a bit strange to me. The color on it was fantastic, a very deep rusty brown with loads of ruby tinted hints riddled throughout the glass. Really took on a wonderful color and a I was really most impressed by this factor. Though it looked rather lifeless in the glass, the color spoke for itself, just a very nice caramel, hazy and ruddy color, with hints of red, really looked like a dessert filling.

S - The aroma came at you straight out of a Valentine's Day box of chocolate. I really have never had a beer smell like this before. I have had many a dessert beer, Fruit beer, RIS, but nothing that comes close to this. The first thing that came across was a rich blend of toffee and chocolate. Very smooth and rich, even in the aroma, it was like walking into a candy store what came next. Rich tones of raspberry mixing and melting in with everything that came before and after. Hints of oak perhaps, vanilla definitely though. Truly, unlike anything I had been around before. Very sweet, but at the same time, kind of tart. There was a slight touch of alcohol, but barely discernable from the wonderful candy like smells that preceded it.

T - The flavor was like something out of this world. There is really just no other way to describe it. I have truly never had anything like this before, but one thing I can say for sure, this was no beer. This was one of the most decadent desserts I have ever had the pleasure of trying. From the first wave of oak filled caramel that rolled over my tongue, I knew I was in for a treat. Loads of chocolate following this, but weird chocolate, not your normal thick chocolate stout like flavor, rather it was a baking chocolate that was laced, well not really, more like infused with raspberries. The flavor was just wonderful hints of everything but the kitchen sink in this one. Some nice touches of caramel and toffee riddled throughout this thing. I am not even really sure what to call it; it was just a wonderful mixture of so many different flavors. If there was ever a beer that embodied a candied desert it was this. Ok, enough of that, to sum it up in a single sentence, have you ever seen one of those liquor-filled chocolates? If you have, this is what you would WANT it to taste like!

M - The feel was a little odd at first, but then you got used to it. There was literally no carbonation to it at all, which would normally be an automatic downer, but for some reason actually worked quite well on this one. The flavors were enough to stand on their own, and did not need anything in the way of bubbles to bring them to the surface. A really nice finish on this one as well, forgot to mention that. The taste just dragged on and I could literally still taste this one a good five minutes after I had my last sip. Long drawn out sweet caramel and toffee just dominating the finish, with a slightly dry bitter quality.

D - The smoothness of this was insane. I mean this is a classic dessert, and the alcohol is huge in this but I never got a taste of it. Very strange that it would never show up in the flavor, I would have thought it would have been harsher, especially for a recent release, but smooth as silk. I could have kept sipping on this all night long without an issue, but alas, the little six-ounce bottle only stayed around for thirty minutes and was gone.

Overall, this was outstanding. A bit weird at first I will admit that, but once you realize what it is there is truly nothing else like it. I would have to say this was worth all the hype it gets and is really quite good. I would recommend this to anyone. (4,591 characters)

A: Pours a dark ruby with a tiny tan head that shines brightly in the flute.

S: Lots of raspberries--nay, raspberry tootsie rolls--sit atop a sweet malt base with a little bit of extra chocolate, and hits of earthiness.

T: Again, this really reminded me of a raspberry tootsie roll filled with a bit of alcohol. The flavors underneath were quite nice, with slight hints of brown sugar/molasses, a bit of maple, and maybe some anise.

M: Medium body with only a bit of carbonation.

D: Very rich in flavor, but without the perfect balance, this one was great to try and sip for a while, but didn't live up to the hype for me. A very interesting brew that is well worth trying, I wasn't completely sad to see my glass completely emptied. (833 characters)

It's taken a while, but I;m finally getting a crack at this beast. It pours a mostly clear ruby topped by a half-finger at most of off-white foam. The nose comprises deep raspberry jam, a twinge of what seems like vanilla bean in the background, and a slight sense of vinyl. The taste brings in more of the same, with the raspberries shining, some mild booze creeping in, and the vinyl coming through as a stronger pall of plastic. This plastic-ness doesn't fade. The body is a light hefty, with a relatively light carbonation and a thickly fluid feel. Overall, a nice enough fruited eisbock, but that plastic character is in no way endearing and kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth (in both manners). (726 characters)

The aroma hits exactly with lots of fresh raspberry, a caramel sweetness, a bit of booze in there.

The flavor follows with a burst of juicy raspberry and then it moves onto a caramel malt sweetness and sweet syrup character. There’s a hint of booze at the end, but the alcohol is extremely well hidden. There’s a bit of carbonation in there as well to help the mouthfeel.

aroma kicks it up a few levels though. jammy raspberry aroma is the first thing i notice, and stronger so than i had anticipated.. maybe because im looking for it. this is quickly followed by a spicy alcohol-driven woody kick. this is not a pure fruit beer by any means, it benefits from fruit but relies on grain ingredients to make it classy and substantial.

taste is quite perfect. complex as all hell, probably moreso due to my unfamiliarity with such a style. raspberry on the tongue gives way to tartness, a heavy malt bitterness happening in the rear of the mouth cavern. an aged port finish full of vanilla and butterscotch with the sweetest dark chocolate kick. lingering is an infusion of all this plus the beer's namesake red fruit.

sure its a sipper, but not too heavy at all. feels great going down and is very drinkable for an eisbock. brilliant idea here to cut the harsher aspects of an eis.. experimentation at its finest and exactly why this beer is hyped up to extreme levels.

this beer marks a step into the future for craft beers. (1,597 characters)

A tiny 187ml green bottle. Sticker on the cap states this was bottled in December 2007. Poured into a snifter, this brew appears a hazed brown color with some ruby highlights. When held to the light, it shows a better clarity and deep ruby red coloration with some lighter orange around the edge. This brew looks still until it is swirled and a few bubbles come out of solution and sit around the top before collecting around the outside of the glass. A swirl provides faint spotty lacework and legs of alcohol slowly creep back down to the brew.

The smell is a huge blast of raspberry puree. Very strong with a raspberry sweetness that smells somewhat medicinal. The nose is a bit fusel with minor notes of chocolate malt hiding underneath the bold raspberry. As the brew warms up, the raspberry goes back and forth between characteristics that are almost candy-like with its sweet smell to more earthy and herbal with a more natural character. Once the brew hits room temperature, the chocolate comes out in full force and seemingly overtakes the once dominating raspberry character. What a fantastic experience to be able to let this brew evolve in my glass. Across the back is a faint sweetness somewhat like vanilla and spiced yeast indication but I am stretching. While this brew smells great, it is almost not even beer-like except for some chocolate malt notes.

The taste is tart, natural raspberry flavoring with a bold solvent kick of alcohol. There is a backing of chocolate malt present which adds a nice unexpected depth to this brew's flavor. Think alcoholic chocolate covered raspberry... that is exactly what this brew is. There is an herbal to earthy flavoring to this brew that seems like a combination of the raspberry addition mixed with herbal hops. There is a bit of a bitterness which is welcomed that counters the sweetness and bold alcohol nature of this brew. Only once this brew exceeds ideal temperatures do the first indications of this offering come out that this is in fact an eisbock. The expected spicy yeast flavors were completely hidden by the raspberry but they faintly come out once warm and provide an interesting accent to the raspberry flavor. Well done. This brew has a lasting flavor of chocolate residing in the mouth.

This is a full bodied brew with a light, enjoyable level of carbonation. It is a very good after dinner sipper that I fully enjoyed. Let's not kid ourselves, this is a 13+% brew and it hits hard as expected. The alcohol is not hidden but it is incorporated in a way that is every enjoyable and not distracting at all. I have been wanting to try this brew for awhile and I was expecting this to be a sweet mess. Color me impressed, this was not at all what I thought it would be, it was better. I actually enjoyed this brew even more than my review score would let you believe. I fault this brew for being so bold with fruit that I have a hard time accepting this as an eisbock. (2,943 characters)

2004, 6.3 oz bottle with red wax seal on top. Thanks to Eyedrinkale for this trade.

Appearance: Dark brownish red fluid. A thin, light tan colored head develops with a bit of swirling. It's not a particularly exciting looking beer but it does sport a nice color.

Smell: Very sweet, raspberry jam nose with a slight roasty scent.

Taste: Very sweet as expected but not too sweet or uncomfortable. Some roasty notes but they are very light and somewhat chocolate like. A bit of alcohol warmth at the end, but that is also very light. Mostly raspberries and a nice natural sweetness. A very very slight tangy aftertaste lingers for a moment.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and very thick and syrupy. Comfortable on my palate.

Drinkability: This is a good after dinner drink. It's very sweet making it very much like port. I have to say that the flavor does seem to be one-dimensional. It's not complex. It's good, but not complex. It tastes like raspberries and is just what you would expect. (990 characters)

375ml bottle of the 2014 release. Served in a brandy snifter 2/24/2015.

A- Dark ruby body. Shades of brown as well. Minimal half finger white head that dies down very quickly. No lacing. It eventually ends up looking like a reddish brandy in this glass.

S- Rich aromas of raspberry... wait for it... Twizzlers! But not in an artificial or plastic manner, it's more authentic. It's very raspberry jam-forward with a malty chocolate background. The raspberry is very strong here, it makes me think raspberry pancake syrup.

F- Tastes just as raspberry forward as it smells. As in the nose, there are no plastic or artificial flavours here, just a ton of raspberry jam and chocolate malt. A little bit of mineral yeast flavours as well. Not superbly complex and a very sweet beer, but it is a very unique flavour profile that I am honestly enjoying quite a bit. I want to pour this beer on my pancakes.

M- Thick bodied, slightly syrupy but not in an off-putting way. I expected this beer to be reasonably thick, and it is indeed so. Low carbonation, a very nice sipper as it is very, very flavourful but without any kind of heat at all.

O- Excellent beer, one of the first eisbocks I've tried. It's very balanced yet extremely flavourful and enjoyable to sip on. A bit of a novelty in concept, but in execution it's a very nice beer, and if you're a cellar-obsessive, I am sure it could age for decades. I am definitely more interested in trying Blueberry Eisbock now. (1,469 characters)

Clings to the sides of the glass like moss on a tree. Looks like sludge in the glass. Dark, rotting grape color -- deep purple-ish brown.

Very pungent aromas -- beet sugar, alcohol, and raspberry. The berry fragrance, especially, forces its way off the beer and at your face. Wickedly powerful. Intensely sweet flavor that's dominated by the raspberry. This is a bit akin to a raspberry syrup in flavor and texture. Homemade jam. While very cough syrupy, it hides the alcohol remarkably well. Silky smooth on the tongue and goes down easily for such a weighty, meaty brew. The most sinful of all desserts couldn't compare to a 4 ounce sample of this delight.

This apparently won a gold medal at a Michigan beer championship, and a good friend of mine originated the recipe. So I was pleased to sample it at the Michigan Summer Beer Fest yesterday, and it was one of the better brews there. (895 characters)

Bottle Inspection: A Lilliputian bottle of 6.3 oz. with a red wax sealed cap. 2004 vintage with a note that the beer could handle additional age well. Such as small bottle is sure to disappoint, especially since I am sharing it with fellow BA Pegasus AND our women want a taste.

Appearance: Murky chocolate amber with a surprising amount of carbonation for an eisbock, but the dark tan head only flashed briefly before dying.

Flavor: Massively rich malt with a very sweet, very sudden fruit assault. The fruit is mostly raspberry, but some of the alcoholic chocolate covered cherry (complete with the gooey filling) and dark rich malt playing a serious role. The flavor profile morphed gracefully as it warmed bringing out some more of the alcoholic zing and even more chocolate flavors.

Mouthfeel: The body is a little thin, which is surprising given the massiveness of the beer. It is also drying and slightly puckering.

Overall Impression: I wish to bath in this. I kept thinking how much better all other beers would be if I could only pour some of this in them. The deep malt taste is balanced by the massive raspberry tartness. This beer is complex yet soothing. My feeble words dont begin to convey the true nature of this beer. I can only say: seek. Personally, Im gassing up the car and driving up to the brewery. Its only 1,429 miles. Takes exactly a day according to Google.
Ill be there soon.
Undying gratitude to Eyedrinkale for the experience. (1,680 characters)

This is yet another great brew sent to me courtesy of hoppymeal, thanks Derek! Kuhnhenn's Raspberry Eisbock pours like syrup into my flute which creates a problem conjuring up a head. The body is dark and murky, the color of raspberry juice that while dark manages to glow around the edges of the glass when backlit. I did manage to get a thin skimming of head that quickly fizzled to nothing but a thin ecru collar. The thin collar that's there leaves behind sheet lacing that slowly slides back into the body.

The smell of this eisbock is out of this world good. Fresh ripe raspberry puree jumps from the glass right off the bat and is quickly followed by rich dark chocolate. There's a faint booziness in the back that only adds to the incredibly rich aroma. This beer is like dessert in a bottle, I can't get over how perfectly sweet the raspberry is and how perfectly rich the dark chocolate is. How do you get this aroma into a bottle?

The flavor is exactly what the aroma suggested. I thought it would be tough to keep up with the aroma on this beer but the flavor does just that. Freshly pureed raspberries are drizzled with molten dark chocolate. There's a quick flash of bread pudding but the chocolate and raspberries take center stage. This is one amazing beer!

This is a sipper/nightcap sort of beer but it fits this beer perfectly. The body is rich and thick with a coating quality that keeps the tongue busy for awhile. Mellow carbonation keeps this beer slowly moving while the raspberry and chocolate sweetness hangs out on the tongue for awhile.

Even though this is a sipper it's a beer I would be happy sipping all night long. The 13% isn't even noticeable and this beer just keeps on flowing.

This is one of the best beers I've had in awhile. I can't figure out how Kuhnhenn packed that flavor into this beer. I would love to get my hands on a case of this stuff. Thanks for the bottle Derek! (1,941 characters)

A beer to savor when watching the Pistons romp on Cleveland....again.Poured a deep mahogany brown with some real cherry red hue with a somewhat fizzy quick dissapating head,aromas of vanilla,wood,raspberry juice,some iron and a bit of milk chocolate thrown in.Caramel sweetness along with some hefty molasses notes upfront the raspberry flavors are more in the backdrop but always there with some dark chocolate with an odd finish I cant quite put my finger on the flavor its a little unpleasant because there is so much going on otherwise its like a metallic fruit flavor.Bottled in 2004 its a very fine beer except for that odd finish. (637 characters)

Pours an oily and thick red-brown with blackberry highlights. Absolutely zero head or carbonation.

Aroma is pungent and complicated. A full range of berries and dark fruit is present. Figs, plums, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, boysenberries, huckleberries, etc Quite woody as well with some chocolate and caramel. Unfortunately each of these aromas is quite rotten and completely booze soaked. The alcohol is so strong as to distract and detract form the aromatic experience.

Flavor is bold, full and ridiculously boozey. This is one of the most boozy beers Ive had for sure. There are plenty of rich dark flavors but it is difficult to focus on them individually as an overriding, connective alcohol presence prohibits careful examination. Raspberry flavor is not as strong as I expected. In fact, its pretty weak. Most of the flavor derived from a malty caramel/mocha  rotten plum/molasses booziness. I dont find it particularly pleasant.

Mouthfeel is much more akin to a syrupy after dinner liquor then a beer. There is no carbonation, but that is to be expected in this aged ABV bomb but further then that, there is very little here to set it apart from the sweet, strong, and syrupy qualities associated with a fruit liquor. It is certainly full bodied, hot, and exceedingly loaded with many flavors but it just doesnt work for me.

Not very drinkable unless you are in to sweet, syrupy after dinner liquors. I am not. (1,538 characters)

On tap a Kuhnhenn's brewery in Warren. Pours a magnificent ruby red color with some brown hints thrown about. A thick and creamy, fine-bubbled beige head sits atop the eisbock and settles to a skin on the beer for the remainder of the glass. Excited to finally try this stuff, on tap at the brewery, no less. Put down 15$ for a 6 oz pour, so this stuff better be pretty damn good. I have high hopes for Kuhnhenn, though, so I don't think they'd let me down.

The aroma is.... magnificent. Rasp - fuckin' - berries, ALL. DAMN. DAY. A perfectly light, yet-full bodied aroma that bursts with sweet, juicy raspberries, raspberry jam, and raspberry candy. The malt imparts a nice cocoa and chocolate aroma as well - chocolate covered raspberries, anyone? The aroma is so ripe, pure, and authentic, and that's one of the best things about it. It's like stuffing your nose into a raspberry patch with chocolate rain. Sweet, fruity, and simply orgasmic. No bullshit, here.

KRE is creamier on the palate than it appeared in the glass - it slides softly across my tongue as the onslaught of raspberry goodness devours my entire mouth. A smooth, delicate raspberry jam flavor explodes as waves of light cocoa nips and some mellow chocolate float in and out. Think of dipping raspberries in a chocolate fountain. There's no doubt, the raspberry flavor wins out over the chocolate, but the inclusion of cocoa is nevertheless a huge component to the full flavor profile.

Though there isn't a necessarily complex or demanding group of different flavors, the raspberry element is so authentic and "real", to an almost unbelievable degree even. This batch apparently contains 15.5% ABV (rather than the original 13.5%, due to a higher efficiency during brewing), but it hardly tastes like it contains alcohol at all. Upon warming, some warmth comes out, but it is still insanely tame and drinkable. Low carbonation, which works well for this beer.

I couldn't think of a more perfect desert beer. I've got to say - this is probably the best fruit-centric beer I've ever had. The raspberries are so raw and pure that it's borderline ridiculous. Perfect addition of cocoa flavors makes this beer even better. Probably the winner of the "highest ABV to highest drinkability" award, too. It went down so smooth. (2,293 characters)

A: A very cloudy reddish brown color. A minimal pale beige head develops, but dissipates instantly into a fine ring of lacings. After a while even these tiny bubbles fade away. Honestly, the qualities of this beer surly doesn't lie in its appearance.

S: The smell is very powerful. Huge amounts of sweet malts makes the smell really heavy. Plenty of genuine aromas of raspberries, but the fruits are not as prominent as I had expected. A hint of chocolate, some leather and tobacco, and quite a lot of oak-barrel. Alcoholic fumes hit the noose, but are well integrated with the sophisticated character of the smell. All in all, it's quite reminiscent of fine spirits.

T: The taste is dominated by a dense and heavy malty character with lots of sweetness to it. The raspberries are present in the mouth, but again they are more subtle than I had expected. The raspberry flavors are of a really genuine quality, no raspberry candy in sight. Caramel, notes of tobacco and leather, and quite a lot of oak. I get a hint of chocolate, but it's very faint. Perhaps I pick up the slightest hint of coffee. The finish is almost ridiculously long and has a great warming feeling to it due to the alcohol. The raspberries delivers a nice acidity that goes really great with sweetness from the malts and alcohol. All in all, the raspberries get more prominent towards the finish. Some residual notes of oak barrels and raspberry pits in the finish as well.

M: Very full-bodied with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. It actually has a surprisingly high level of carbonation (which is still rather gentle) which seems to suit the beer nice since it lightens up the otherwise dense feeling and helps to spread all of the wonderful aromas around the mouth.

D: This is a great beer. Surly one of a kind that delivers an explosion of flavors and a great beer experience. Drinks like fine spirits, but still with that great character you can't get from any other type of beverage. (2,012 characters)

187ml bottle 2004, poured into a La Fin goblet and sampled 8/2006. Bottle was the extreme courtesy of BA ThomasHardy. So so nice.

A: Deep, almost black body with undertones of garnet/crimson. Edges have a strong garnet hue. No head on careful pour, little coating brought by agitation.

S: Tart and seemingly dry raspberries abound. Dense malt, rich sugar. Has that unmistakeable yet hard to define smell of eisbock. Alcohol is present in the nose. Almost woody as well, with dark chocolate sweetness and bitterness. Sugar laden pastries creep up after the tartness. Even a touch vinous, red wine or possibly a cognac.

T/M: Prickly carbonation that lightens up the body hits first followed closely by the tart acidity of the berries. Slowly malt and a touch of sugar, though not as much the nose suggested, pull through. Powdery candy quality next that gives way to a long and pretty dry finish. The impression never really leaves, the finish just keeps on until the next sip. Some teeth licking is in order after every sip.

D: A slow sipper for sure, and I really appreciate the 187ml size.

Overall an excellent beer that Im thrilled to have finally had the pleasure of trying. However, for me the raspberry is a little too obvious and the eisbock a little too obscured. That being said its still the best non-lambic fruit beer Ive ever had. So thankful for this chance. (1,385 characters)